Only You
by Porcelain to Ivory to Steel
Summary: This is a re-upload of a fic I posted last year. One-shot. Two years after the Battle of Hogwarts, Hermione and Harry receive a letter informing them that a marriage law will be enforced in the Wizarding world.


**This is an adaptation of an RP that I did with someone a long time ago. She was Hermione and I was Harry.**

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Hermione Granger accepted a letter from the post owl, dropped a Knut into its pouch and sent the owl flying off. The letter was printed on pale purple parchment, the Ministry seal keeping it shut. She peeled the wax away and unfurled the parchment. Hermione skimmed the letter and stared at it in disbelief. A marriage law? And of course, she fell within the requirements. Wizards and witches from 18-30 years old not already engaged or married had to be engaged or married within two years. Hermione read on. "And we have to have children?!" she spluttered under her breath. There it was, plain as day, on the parchment: Every couple within these requirements must have a minimum of two children within the next eight years. Just then, Hermione's roommate and best friend, Harry Potter, came downstairs and spotted her expression.

"What, what is it? Something wrong?" Harry asked.

Hermione handed him the parchment and turned around to get a glass of water. Harry read through the message twice, realizing that it applied to him as well. He had heard rumors about the new law, but he had thought they were just that: rumors. He huffed out a sigh. "This is... ugh. Wow."

"Yeah..." Hermione sighed and sat down at the table. "It's bloody crap, that's what is it," she said, nudging it into the trash. "Ugh, we probably want to keep it though, don't we," she said, summoning it back with "Accio."

Harry plopped down into a chair as well, putting his head into his hands. He had broken things off with Ginny six months before. He almost regretted that now. Almost. He glanced up at Hermione. "Yeah. Crap. So... what are you going to do about it?" he asked casually.

"I don't know," Hermione said with a heavy sigh. Her and Ron had dated for a while, but everything was too awkward and they'd decided to stay friends, and just friends. She bit her lip, almost starting to regret that decision. "What about you?"

"No idea... I feel like this is just going to end up being the Yule Ball all over again. I won't be able to find a girl until the last minute, when I'll just desperately end up marrying some girl who's all wrong for me." He rambled on, all the while thinking that it's too bad that the best girl he could find's already taken. Harry had thought that Hermione was going to break up with his friend Ron, but the two still seemed to be fine. Hermione would probably just marry him, Harry thought somewhat bitterly.

"Yeah... Oh well. There's two whole years this time, not three weeks," Hermione said with a somewhat forced-looking smile. "Still, I get what you mean. We all know I'm no expert at relationships, so I feel the same way," she said, turning the radio without thinking about it.

"'No expert?' Says the girl who's managed to actually keep her relationship going strong for two years. Says the girl who dated a famous Quidditch player at age fourteen." Harry teased.

Hermione blushed a little. "Well, I'm not. Ron and I are a bit awkward right now, we've been talking about ending it and just staying friends, if I'm honest," Hermione admitted.

"Really?" Harry said, surprised. He realized a second too late that he sounded a little more hopeful and enthusiastic than sympathetic. To try to cover this, he quickly continued with, "That's too bad." He hoped he didn't sound too insincere. He knew that as Ron's best friend he should advise Hermione to try to patch things up with him, but Harry couldn't bring himself to do it. First of all, the couple had always bickered and, while they did care about each other, were never quite right for each other. But if Harry were honest with himself, it was just his own selfish desires that stopped him from saying this.

Hermione nodded. "It's not bad, really. We both agree that this romance doesn't really work for us. We were built to be friends and that's that. He's not mad, nor am I. It's pretty much solidified that that's our plan," she shrugged. "So it's not bad, really."

"That's... that's good." More than good. A chance. Barely a chance. Hermione didn't think of him in a romantic way. But still a chance, right?

"Yeah. I'm glad he agrees with me. I thought he'd be angry when I told him it was awkward and maybe we should just be friends. But he wasn't, so I'm happy about that," Hermione said, smiling a little.

Harry smiled back. "That's great." He fidgeted with his sleeve. "Look at us, two single kids, marriage law bearing down... Haha, we should get married." He said this in the jokiest tone possible, then internally cringed at himself.

Hermione bit her lip and looked at him. "Really?" she asked, her tone dead serious with a bit of shock weaved in. "Like, you mean that? Or just joking?" Her expression was unreadable and she took care to keep it that way.

Harry cursed heavily at himself in his head. He stammered for a second, not sure what his response was going to be as it came out of his mouth. "I mean- if you don't want to- I mean I don't- I mean not that I don't- sorry. Yes. No. Maybe?" He internally swore at himself some more.

Hermione broke into a grin and giggled, blushing a little. "You- you like me that way? Not just as a friend? You'd marry me, have kids with me?"

"I-" Harry turned red. He chuckled awkwardly, feeling stupid. "I mean, if you wanted." He felt even more stupid by the second.

Hermione stood up and walked over to him. "I'd love to," she said softly, leaning in and kissing his cheek, a pink blush appearing on her cheeks.

Shock and happiness filled Harry. "Really? We're doing this?"

Hermione grinned. "Really. We're doing this." She went back to her seat. "I'll end things for real with Ron tomorrow. I'll see him at the Ministry, I'm sure."

"Oh." Harry said simply. He had been under the impression that she had already broken up with Ron. He didn't let the irrational worries rise to the surface. After all, she had agreed to marry HIM. Harry was hit again with the wave of happiness. A minute ago, he was just Hermione's friend. Her roomate. And now... Now they were getting married. "And I'll find you a proper ring tomorrow. How does the whole engagement ring, wedding band, whatever thing work? Never mind. I'll ask the person behind the counter..."

Hermione laughed. "I don't need a ring, Harry, you know that," she said with a smile. "But if you'd like to get me one, then thank you." Her brows furrowed together. "What was the 'oh' about? You sounded disappointed."

"Nothing, really. Just surprised. You- you kind of made it sound like you'd already broken up with Ron." Harry again pushed back the slightest seed of doubt. Hadn't she said that they'd talked it over? If so, why were they still together?

"We basically have. It's not official yet is all." Hermione bit her lip and kissed Harry's cheek again. "Only a couple of minutes into our relationship and already you're worrying about another man." She saw Harry open his mouth to object. "Oh, Harry, you know that was a joke. But don't worry, alright? Ron's my friend. I hadn't told him, but half the reason I suggested him and I break up was because I was falling for you." She blushed lightly.

"Oh," Harry said again, perking up a little. "I guess I'm just exceptionally unobservant. I never noticed. Even though I spent enough time wondering."

Hermione laughed. "Well, I wouldn't deny the 'exceptionally unobservant' part," she teased. "You should've been named Harry Oblivious Potter." She grinned.

"That's fitting." Harry reached across the table and squeezed his new fiance's hand. "I'm off to bed, then."

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Goodnight," she said, standing and kissed his cheek. "See you in the morning. Sleep well." She smiled at him and put her glass in the sink. Harry smiled back before heading upstairs and getting ready for bed. He fell into bed but only lay awake, mind racing.

Hermione went upstairs a few minutes later and got ready for bed, crawling beneath her covers and shutting her eyes, only to find she couldn't sleep with the whirling of her thoughts.

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 **Why did they sleep in separate bedrooms that night? Because they're chaste and honorable. I don't know.**

 **Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Comments are appreciated. (Note: Excuse the unoriginal plot. I didn't choose it. But sometimes familiarity can be comforting, right?)**


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